Police have recovered eight bags stolen from Rajshahi Division cricketers taking part in the National Cricket League. They were recovered through the efforts of Rajshahi district police and the security department of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Four people have also been arrested on charges of involvement.
The bags were recovered early on Thursday (15 October) from the house of Shahadat Hossain in Tarapur village of Puthia upazila, Rajshahi.
The stolen bags belonged to Rajshahi Division’s spin-bowling all-rounder SM Meherob Hasan, the pacers Mohor Sheikh Ontor and Ali Mohammad Walid, and the team’s attendant Abdul Kader. Eight of their bags were stolen from a BCB covered van on the way from Dhaka to Rajshahi.
The arrested are Mozammel Haque, 32, of Chamta village in Charghat upazila; Sohan Rahman, 23, of Gandagohali Jamtala village in Puthia upazila; Rubel Ahmed, 38, of Baraipara village; and Shahadat Hossain, 52, of Tarapur village. According to the police, the stolen bags were recovered from Shahadat’s house.
Sabina Yasmin, the Rajshahi police spokesperson and an additional superintendent of police, said most of the items in the stolen bags had been recovered and would be handed over to the cricketers. A case has been filed at Puthia police station against the arrested men. They have been produced in court with a request for remand, though she could not immediately say for how many days.
Mozaddedi Jamani, member secretary of the Rajshahi Divisional Sports Association, told the media that on hearing the items had been recovered he went to the office of the Rajshahi district Detective Branch. There he saw the detained Mozammel Haque wearing clothes used by the cricketers.
According to police sources, the Rajshahi Division cricketers flew back to Rajshahi on Wednesday morning after playing Khulna Division at Mirpur in the second round of the National Cricket League. The BCB covered van had left for Rajshahi the night before with the team’s 54 bags.
On the way, at Tarapur crossing on the Natore-Rajshahi highway, several unidentified people on motorcycles followed the covered van. At one point they broke the lock of the moving vehicle and took the bags and other items, police sources said.
The driver of another vehicle coming from behind told the van’s driver, Sajib. On reaching Hotel Grand Riverview in Rajshahi city he informed those concerned of the theft.
When the bags were unloaded, 46 of the BCB division team’s 54 bags were there; the other eight could not be found. A general diary (GD) was filed at Rajpara police station in Rajshahi city on Wednesday. Police then carried out raids and recovered the eight stolen bags.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report